Welcome to the PHT Morning Skate, a collection of links from around the hockey world. Have a link you want to submit? Email us at phtblog@nbcsports.com.
• Dougie Hamilton has heard all the stories about why he was traded by the Calgary Flames, but he’s not letting that get to him. (Calgary Sun)
• A special needs hockey team got to play their first game at Gila River Arena in Arizona last week. (Fox10Phoenix.com)
• The NHL has gotten faster over the last few years, so players are turning to weight loss and nutrition to succeed. (NHL.com)
• The Hockey News breaks down 10 Stanley Cup matchups that they’d like to see this spring. (The Hockey News)
• Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck has proved so many people wrong on his journey to the NHL. He’s become one of the best goalies in the league. (Sportsnet)
• The Columbus Blue Jackets are a fun team to watch. (The Cannon)
• What’s an empty-calorie scorer? Raw Charge explains and identifies which scorers don’t really help their teams win all that much. (Raw Charge)
• ESPN previews what each of the 31 teams might do at next month’s trade deadline. (ESPN)
• Braydon Coburn got to meet NASCAR driver Aric Almirola. (Tampa Times)
• What does Colin Miller’s return to the Vegas lineup mean for the team? (SinBin.Vegas)
• A lot of the high-profile teams in the NHL haven’t been very good this season. (USA Today)
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Joey Alfieri is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @joeyalfieri.